"This kind of test is exciting!" Die Qing grinned mischievously, her petite frame surging with powerful Spirit Power as her cultivation erupted.
Perfect Qi Refining.
Early Foundation Establishment.
Late Foundation Establishment.
Perfect Foundation Establishment.
Her cultivation halted at Perfect Foundation Establishment. An 18-year-old girl with such prowess rivaled the Lan Clan's top genius, Lan Yu.
"That's the spirit, little sister! Let's crush it!" Hong Lian's lips parted, her wet tongue tracing them as her cultivation soared.
Early Golden Core… Late Golden Core… Early Nascent Soul.
It stopped at Early Nascent Soul.
"As expected," Lan An shook his head with a wry smile. His Yan Ruo was also Early Nascent Soul, but as the saintess of the seventh-grade Bai Hua Blossom Sect, she'd needed his help to break through. Hong Lian, only slightly older, matched that level. Could their backgrounds be simple? Even a fool could guess.
"Giggle, what're you staring at? Fight!" the women teased in unison, eyeing Lan An.
"Alright, let's do this!" Their fervor ignited him. His Dual Cauldron cultivation exploded, a Golden Core aura surging, making the women's eyes gleam.
"Mysterious-Grade Skill - Wind God Kick!" Die Qing's tiny frame shot upward, her small foot swirling with wind vortices, forming a miniature tornado that slammed toward the skeleton.
Ferociously violent.
The skeleton didn't stand idle, raising its scepter to block.
Whoosh.
Die Qing's kick forced it back, leaving two long grooves in the stone floor.
"Mysterious-Grade Skill - Blazing Flame Seal!" Hong Lian, refusing to be outdone, wove intricate hand seals. Blazing Flames formed a massive seal, crashing onto the skeleton's skull.
Crack.
It worked—the skull showed faint cracks.
BOOM.
The seal missed as the skeleton dodged.
"Hmph, where're you going?" Lan An pursued, appearing before it. The Earth Bear's arms locked the skeleton tightly.
"Attack it! Ignore the bear—I can't hold long!" Lan An shouted, face taut, pouring Spirit Power into the Earth Bear as the skeleton thrashed, its scepter hammering the bear's arms.
The women nodded. Attacking the skeleton meant hitting the Earth Bear, but Lan An's command left no room for hesitation.
"Earth-Grade Skill - Blazing Cloud-Piercing Spear!" Hong Lian summoned all her Spirit Power, forming a colossal fiery spear.
"Earth-Grade Skill - Tempest Strike!" Die Qing wove seals, Wind-element power forming countless vortices that merged into a massive tornado, even dispersing some of the Purple Heart Void-Burning Flame's heat.
"Go!"
The women shouted, their skills blasting toward the skeleton at lightning speed.
"Roar!"
Sensing escape was impossible, the skeleton gathered lightning at its scepter's tip, hurling it at the attacks.
BOOM.
A deafening clash erupted. The impact sent Lan An flying, blood spraying from his mouth, the Earth Bear shattering.
The women fared no better. The confined room amplified the collision's force, paling their faces. Blood trickled from their lips. Hong Lian, with her Nascent Soul cultivation, held up better, but Die Qing, only Perfect Foundation Establishment, collapsed, her Spirit Power drained. The flame's heat made her want to strip for relief.
"Haha, well done, very well done!" a playful voice rang out.
The trio, catching their breath, jumped, staring at the source.
The skeleton had crumbled into pieces, the Lightning Scepter rolling across the floor.
The skull-shaped ring glowed, a faint soul emerging.
It was a man—or so it seemed. His beauty surpassed most women: delicate brows, large eyes, sharp nose, clad in garish pink robes. Only the Adam's apple betrayed his gender.
Ignoring their odd looks, the effeminate man sighed, "After countless years, I've finally waited."
"Senior, who are you?" Hong Lian asked, unafraid.
"Hmm, such potent Blazing Flames. A Yan Clan member?" the man said with a sly smile.
Hong Lian paled, shocked he saw through her identity.
"Diem Hong Lian greets Senior," she said politely, clasping her hands.
"Hmph, you don't look trustworthy. Shall I call someone to deal with you?" Die Qing, regaining some strength, snapped, despising the man.
"Haha, you mean the old lady protecting you? In my cave, even Spirit Transformation cultivators can't enter," the man said calmly, as if everything was under his control.
Before Die Qing could retort, he glanced at Lan An with a meaningful look. "Little girl, you lack a Fire spirit root, but your bloodline ties to the red-clad lass. Sisters, eh? This boy's got it good."
"What?" Lan An gasped. He hadn't expected them to be sisters.
"Hee hee, surprised? I'm Diem Die Qing, her sister!" Die Qing stuck out her tongue at Lan An, delighted by his shock.
"Wait, what's this about him getting lucky? Don't talk nonsense!" Hong Lian, regaining strength, glared.
"Haha, my time's short. As my successors, you must bond closely. I lived and died alone, so I've prepared something," the man said with a wicked grin.
"What are you planning?" Lan An sensed trouble.
"Enjoy, my successors!" The man's soul laughed eerily. From the skull ring, a pink mist erupted, spreading through the room.
"Remember, your matchmaker is the Evil Emperor, HAHAHA!" His wild, sinister laughter echoed.
The Evil Emperor's soul dissipated, his wish fulfilled, leaving in peace.
As the pink mist spread, Lan An's heart sank, his lower body reacting fiercely.
He struggled to glance at the women. They stared back, tongues licking their lips, cheeks flushed, eyes dripping with allure. Two voices, enough to drive any man wild, whispered:
"Little Lan, your sisters are so hot…"
Above, the Purple Heart Void-Burning Flame dimmed its scorching heat, casting a soft glow, like a bridal lamp for the trio.